Flood waters recede; Dundee, Monroe start process of drying out

Dundee police Chief David Uhl said the M-50 bridge, which was closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic because of high waters, reopened about 4 p.m. Saturday.

"We did an initial inspection of the bridge," the chief said. "No divers will need to inspect it right now."

The bridge had been closed since Thursday morning, causing headaches for many drivers who needed to plan alternative routes.

In Monroe, the River Raisin measured 9.58 feet in the afternoon, which was down almost .2 feet from earlier in the morning, said Patrick Lewis, director of engineering and public service for Monroe.

However, W. Elm Ave. likely will remain closed at least through this afternoon.

"The water has come down quite a bit, but there is still about 3 to 4 feet of water under the Telegraph bridge," Mr. Lewis said Saturday afternoon. "We are hoping to open the street sometime Sunday afternoon at the earliest."

Mr. Lewis said it is possible Elm would remain closed until Monday.

"We have a substantial amount of clean-up to do," he said.

The National Weather Service is predicting rain today, but Mr. Lewis said the forecast will not cause the river to rise much further.

"If we don't get any more than what they are talking about, then I think we'll be okay," he said.

Elm remained the only area in Monroe closed because of flooding.

St. Mary Catholic Central High School closed Friday because of flooding, however, the water in that area has become nothing more than a "puddle," Mr. Lewis said.

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